new yobk



Patented Nov. 8, 1921..

a vweuloa UNITED STATES ALVIN B. CHAMPLIN, 0F TUCKAHOE, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR OF PATENT OFFICE.

ONE-HALF TO ROBERT MCWILLIAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AIR-BLAST SPRAYER.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVIN B. GHAMPLIN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of the village of Tuckahoe, town of Eastchester, in thecounty of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Air-Blast Sprayers, of which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

This invention relates to spraying devices such as are suitable forapplying insecticides to growing plants and its object is to providesimple and effective apparatus which avoids objectionable features oftenfound in analogous machines.

For illustration the invention is shown as embodied in a hand-operatedmachine in which the insecticide material is constantly shaken into adischarge conduit through which the machine drives a strong air blast.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 ratus.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section of a part of the apparatus.

Fig. 4: illustrates a modified construction.

In these views, A represents a fan casing from which projects adischarge conduit A for air to be delivered through the nozzle of anextension, not shown. The casing may be supported by a strap B passingover the neck or shoulders of the user in the usual way. A reservoir Cis pivotally connected to the casing at O and discharges through ascreen D, an adjustable valve D in its bottom and a heavy flexible tubeE opening into the conduit A. Within the casing is a common fan Fmounted on a shaft F bearing an external pinion G meshing with a gear Gmounted on the outside of the casing A, inclosed, with the pinion. in asmall protecting casing H and rotated by a hand crank I.

The shaft F bears at its outer end an cecentric crank pin J connected bya pitman J to the lower part of the reservoir C so that the latter maybe rapidly oscillated on the pivot C when the machine is being operated. Obviously the powder or other material in the reservoir is thusshaken through the valve D and neck E into the conduit A and dischargedwith the rapidly moving air is a plan view of the same appatherein. Toprevent the powder from on Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 384,019.

duly cohering, balls D are placed in the reservoir. lVhen air is notdischarged very freely at the end of the conduit it may pass upward intothe reservoir, and to avoid this an inclined spring plate K is securedin the conduit and has its lower margin adjustable in distance from thebottom thereof by a screw K which swings the lower part of the plate,and above said margin are fixed rearwardly and downwardly curved platesL, L which turn forward air which may have been reversed in direction bybackward pressure in the space forward of the tube E. By this means theeffect of back pressure is practically eliminated, and incidentally thedischarge passage for powder or air may be varied in size.

Instead of using the crank pin J to vibrate the reservoir, the devicesof F ig. 4 may be employed. Here the pinion Q of the fan shaft F, Fig.2, is driven by a gear P mounted like the gear Gr, Fig. 1, on the casingand upon which is fixed a ring bearing studs R to impinge upon theinclined surface of a lug S, in the plane of the studs It, and uponapitman T sliding at one end 011 a block V supported from the casing Aand at the other end pivoted as before to the reservoir. Each stud Rslides the pitman and swings the reservoir from the fan casing, and aspring W quickly swings the reservoir back as each stud is passed.

In operation, the apparatus is usually supported by the strap B and thecrank I is turned, in the proper direction, by the operator, the gearingimparting a rapid rotary movement to the fan and, by means of the crankpin J carriedby the fan shaft or its pinion, a quick oscillatingmovement to the pitman J which compels the reservoir 0 to swing slightlyand very rapidly back and forth upon its pivotal axis C. This shakes theinsecticide down through the screen and adjusted valve so that it fallsupon the swinging lower part of the plate K and slides into the narrowthroat through which the fan drives the air rapidly toward the dischargeend of the conduit. Obviously adjusting this plate adjusts the airopening and the insecticide opening at the same time but inversely,since the higher the air velocity, the more powder it willsatisfactorily distribute.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a rotary fan, its

casing, and a conduit leading from the latter, a downwardly dischargingreservoir pivoted to the casing above the conduit to rock slightly backand forth, a flexible tube con necting the reservoir to the conduit andpermitting such slight rocking, and means for simultaneously rotatingthe fan and rocking the reservoir on its pivotal axis.

2. The combination with an air conduit and means for creatingan aircurrent therein, of a reservoir discharging downwardly into the conduit,a plate for deflecting the air approaching the discharge point of thereservoir, an oppositely inc ined analogous member extending downward inthe conduit toward the lower margin of the swinging plate, and means foradjusting the angle of the plate to vary the width of the air andinsecticide channels.

3. The combination with a fan, its casing and a conduit leading from thecasing, of an insecticide reservoir pivoted to the casing at somedistance above the conduit, a flexible tube leading from the reservoirinto the conduit and allowing the lower end of the former to swingslightly back and forth on the reservoir pivot, and a screen coveredadjustable valve controlling the discharge from the reservoir. 7

4c. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with an airconduit, of means for creating an air current therein, means fordischarging into the conduit at a predetermined point material to besprayed, and means for deflecting and reversing the direction of airmovlng backwardly toward said point.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with aninsecticide-powder reservoir having a foraminous bottom and pivoted torock laterally back and forth from upright position, of balls restingloosely on said bottom, whereby the powder mass is constantly broken upduring the rocking.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ALVIN B. GHAMPLIN.

